BASF disappointed at Amflora decision delay

BASF is standing by the safety of its Amflora genetically optimised starch potato as the EU Council of Ministers postpones its decision on commercial optimisation, and urges swifter adoption of new technologies for the bloc.

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A discussion: GM crops: 'Point of no return in ten years'

EUROPE will increase its genetically modified (GMO) crop area by 50,000-100,000 hectares a year over the next decade, US biotech giant Monsanto has said.

"It will be slow but within ten years GMOs will have reached the point of no return," said Jean-Michel Duhamel, Monsanto's director for southern Europe.

"The technology will not impose itself on consumers but consumers will better understand the usefulness of GMO technology as farmers increasingly adopt it," he added.

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GMO potato takes shape in EU, no French fries yet

European regulators are pushing ahead with plans to allow farmers to grow a genetically modified (GMO) potato but focusing first on its use in feed and non-food industries due to opposition from several GMO-wary countries.

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BASF hopes for EU approval for genetically modified potato Amflora in 2007

BASF AG plans to expand its research in plant technology and is hoping to obtain EU approval for its genetically modified potato - Amflora - in 2007, reported Handelsblatt newspaper in an interview with board member Peter Oakley, in an excerpt of an article due for publication on Monday.

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Latinoamérica debe abrir los ojos a la biotecnología

La biotecnología o el uso de la biología con fines industriales es una actividad "beneficiosa para la humanidad" ante la que Latinoamérica debe "abrir los ojos", según coincidieron varios expertos en un congreso sobre comercio en Miami. En la conferencia "La biotecnología en el proceso de globalización", del XXVIII Congreso Hemisférico de la Cámara de Comercio Latina de EE.UU. (Camacol), que termina hoy, se analizó el papel de la biotecnología y su impacto en Latinoamérica.

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GM Crops Good for Swedish Farm Economy

There is no cultivation of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in Sweden today but prospects for future cultivation look good. According to a recent report from the Swedish Institute for Food and Agricultural Economics (SLI), cultivating GM crops would be economically profitable for Swedish farmers. SLI is a government agency commissioned to carry out economic analyses within the fields of agriculture, foods and fishing.

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Debate on GM food becoming a political fight

The genetically modified (GM) food issue continues to raise its head, with the result that more and more public comment comes along. In principle, public comment is good, but public comment should not intrude deeper into the issue than the public can comprehend, or than it is able to add value. For example, if there is public comment on heart transplants, that is good – if the comment is about the ethics of transplants, and which hospitals should be equipped to handle such work.

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